Five Years
by Countrygirl09
Summary: Joey and Andie meet up five years after graduation like they'd planned with Jen in "Future Tense." Oneshot.


Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I lay no claim on _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters. They don't belong to me, never have and never will.

Summary: Andie and Joey meet up five years after senior year, like they'd planned with Jen in "Future Tense." Oneshot.

Five Years

Joey stood alone on a dock. It wasn't her dock; the house behind her was just as unfamiliar as it was five years ago. She thought back to the party that happened here - Jen's un-birthday party - and the deal she'd made with Jen and Andie in this exact spot.

She crossed her arms, shivering slightly in the mid-September night air. The days were still fairly warm but the nights were chilly enough to require a jacket, something she'd forgotten in her rush out of the B&B. However, the weather wasn't really bothering her, she was too preoccupied. Joey let her thoughts drift to memories of high school and her friends, especially Jen.

"Hey Joey!" A perky voice snapped Joey back to the present. She spun around in time to see a blonde walking toward her.

"Andie!" Joey quickly closed the gap between them and pulled her old friend into a warm hug. "I wasn't sure if you were going to make it."

Andie pulled away and laughed. "How could I forget? You've called me like five times in the last two weeks!"

Joey rolled her eyes, "Oh please, it was only like twice."

The two shared a hearty laugh, but then the moment turned serious as they looked back in the direction Andie had just come from, looking and waiting for someone who they knew would never come.

"It's hard to believe she's really gone isn't it?" Andie said softly.

"Yeah, it seems like just last week we were sitting here planning for tonight."

"Speaking of, I can't believe _you_ remembered this, right down to the exact date. You know, you were drunk at the time," Andie teased.

Joey grinned, "Actually, I didn't." She paused and looked over at her friend. "When I was alone one day at the hospital with her, she handed me an envelope with today's date on the front. She made me promise to get in touch with you and still meet up." Joey pulled a white envelop out of her hand and slowly turned it over in her hands. Without looking up, she continued, "She told me not to open it until we were here together."

Andie reached over and pulled the envelope from her friend's hands. "I guess Amy wasn't the only one Jen left something for. Do you want to open it?"

"No, you go ahead." Joey watched as Andie ripped open the envelope and pulled out a few sheets of folded paper. "What is it?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her as she watched Andie skim through, a smile appearing on her face.

She passed her the papers. "See you yourself."

"'Are Men Necessary? A Master Thesis by Jennifer Lindley.'" Joey read slowly, not really sure what it meant. Then it hit her. "This is what Jen saw herself doing in five years isn't it?"

Andie nodded, her smile growing wider. Together they read through Jen's "master thesis." It was just a list of the many things Jen saw wrong with men but it reminded them so much of the friend they'd lost only four months earlier: her personality, her attitude and especially that spark only she had.

"Listen to this," Joey said, "'In conclusion, I find that men are not necessary. They only cause problems and are more trouble than they are worth. It would be best if they were avoided at all costs.'" Jen's conclusion sent both into a laughing fit. When the laughter subsided, Joey looked at the paper again. "Andie, look at this. I think she left us a message." Together they silently read the last paragraph of Jen's paper:

_Okay guys, so I reached my expectations, what about you? I'm sorry I couldn't be there tonight but I guess I had more important things to do. Always keep me in your thoughts and naming a daughter after me wouldn't hurt either - just kidding about that one. I love you guys. You were always my best friends. – Jen _

The girls were silent for a minute, trying to take in their friend's words. When the shock finally wore off, it was Joey spoke first. "Well Andie, you definitely didn't make it into PR."

"What?" Then she remembered her prediction. "Oh. Well at least I'm painting a small happy face on disaster," she replied, referring to her career choice as a pediatric oncologist. Everyday she tried to make the lives of children with cancer a little brighter and more hopeful. "And Jen definitely got at least part of you right."

Joey smiled. "Yeah. I graduated from an Ivy League school and live in New York. I guess she knew me pretty well."

"Yeah, especially that part about you being a cynic," Andie threw in. She laughed at the glare Joey shot her way. "What? It's true!"

Joey just shook her head. "So much has happened since that night and I'm a little surprised that we've managed to keep in contact."

"I'm not. Face it Joey, Jen was right. We _were_ each others' best friends – and still are. Our lives are forever linked whether we like it or not."

"Yeah," Joey agreed, "We're family."

The two stared out over the water, both thinking about the past, the present and the future. It wasn't too long until they were interrupted by Andie's stomach growling. Joey chuckled, "Good to know I'm not the only one here who's starving. Come on, I just happen to know the owner of a pretty good restaurant that's not too far away."

Andie laughed and agreed and they headed back. Just before they got off the dock, Andie stopped and asked, "So Joey, where do you think you'll be in five years?" The two friends looked at each other and laughed as they walked away.

THE END


End file.
